Wicked the musical is set to kick off in Auckland tomorrow night - and one of the show's biggest stars is sharing secrets from behind the stage.
The show is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz with the plot focusing around the untold story of the two witches.
There's Elphaba - the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda - the Good Witch.
Through song, dance - and, of course magic, the musical tells the story of their past friendship and acceptance.
Actress Heather Wilcock couldn't be more ecstatic to play the part of Elphaba - it's a role she's dreamed of since she was a kid.
She told 1News: "I think I learned the entire soundtrack at the age of eight, maybe nine, I think Elphaba is a dream role for any musical theatre."
As part of her character's iconic look, Wilcock is covered in green paint to create her witch-like skin.
Wilcock said: "To get it on we're getting it down about 35 to 40 minutes but getting it off is roughly 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the night.
"Three days later and I'm still stained on my hands. I think a little bit of Elphaba will be carried with me for quite a while."
Having her make-up done ahead of her performance is kind of similar to putting on a uniform before going to work.
She said: "You turn around after having it all done, once Nicky has worked his magic with all the contouring and everything and you turn and you see yourself in the mirror for the first time, it's quite a shock but it really makes it easier to fall into that character."
Once her look is complete and she's in costume, Wilcock is ready to take the stage and belt out the classics from the adored musical.
Many themes are explored in the powerful script, but a main thread is about celebrating our uniqueness.
Wilcock said: "The things that make you different, only make you different, they don't make you less than, they don't make you anything other than different."
During the show, Wilcock's solos include the particularly difficult Defying Gravity, famously performed by Idina Menzel on Broadway for years.
But once she hits that high note and hears the applause of the audience, it's all worth it.
Wilcock said: "It's the greatest feeling, being up there and knowing you've nailed the note because it is really hard but it's so cool."
The stage show is normally reserved for the Broadway stages of New York and London but musical theatre fans can check it out at Sky City Theatre from March 31.
Wicked is the second highest grossing musical in Broadway history - it's been performed in 16 countries like the UK, Japan, Germany and Brazil.
While the musical has been known to tour casts from around the world, Auckland's production will be brought to life by the North Shore Music Theatre.
The show was originally planned for September 10 - October 2 2021 but was postponed due to Covid.
With much excitement from the cast and crew, Wicked will run at Sky City Theatre from March 31 to April 22.
SHARE ME